fired case won't fit after resizing ?

Victory700SS5R

Private
Minuteman
Jan 18, 2011
9
0
51
Victory, NY, USA
Confused on this one, my friend has a remy 700 vls. Rounds fired in that rifle have been resized with neck size die and will not all rechamber. We have even taken brass that has been fired from that rifle and tried to rechamber, goes all the way but last little bit, quater inch or so. Seems that the are at case web is expanded to much. The only brass that is resized that seems to fit is brass run through small base dies. What's the problem here, chamber dimensions, pressure, heat ?
 
Re: fired case won't fit after resizing ?

I've had that problem too. Never could figure it out. I went back and reset my dies. Sort of take it apart, then set it and then reset it on the press. It worked for a while, but it started doing it again.

Tag - to see if someone chimes in a solution too.
 
Re: fired case won't fit after resizing ?

I had a Rem that had the same problem, found out that the chamber wasn't in alignment with the bore/bolt.
Check the base of the case above the web before sizing to see if it bulges out to one side. a large chamber will do this also.
You might also check to see if there's any dirt or crap in the shell holder groove that's stopping the case from aligning with the die
Borg
 
Re: fired case won't fit after resizing ?

the small base die is down 3/4 of a turn, really camed over. cases do not seem swelled at web. i was thinking the chamber might be very tight, instead of oversized ? Maybe thats why the small base dies are needed. My 7005r I can neck size only with no issues, on third loading with neck sized only cases. His 700 will not even rechamber a case that has been fired in it after a short period of time. And its not every case just say 4 of 10. I was also thinking temp, being the chamber is a ring it expands when hot, after it cools it shrinks back, could the chamber be changing that much with temp. Also, the bolt has never been hard to open. His load is 43.5 grs of varget with 168 sierras seated to 2.800" and gold medal match primers.
Any ideas ?
 
Re: fired case won't fit after resizing ?

Had this happen years ago with an early Rem 700 7mm Mag...turned out that the chamber was egg shaped. A new reamer was turned in and it cut a very little around the mouth and then all was well.
 
Re: fired case won't fit after resizing ?

Need more info:

1. What caliber is it. Were all the cases fired in same rifle or is some range pick up?

2. Do you have micrometer or good caliper?

a. Assuming it is 308/243 measure the fired case diameter .200" up from rim in several orientations to see if it is egg shaped. Measurement should not be over .473". Factory guns run .471-473". A custom chamber can be as small as .469 on 308 case which will give you long case life with military brass as it is .468" unfired. All the commercial 308 I have seen is .465 on the base.

3. Measure shoulder diameter. I suspect you are expanding the case just below the shoulder as the shoulder hits and there is nothing to support case body below neck. Neck dies are neck dies. They are not for setting back shoulders and should not contact shoulder except to touch if you want to go that far but there is no need to.

4. Will fired case go right back in chamber in several orientations?

5. Take a new case and a fired case and measure everything side by side, neck diameter, shoulder diameter, base diameter.

As indicated you need either a L.E. Wilson case gage or a MO Gage or a RCBS gage. I use Wilson and MO and have one RCBS. Of them all the MO is my favorite.


Since you are using neck size die you don't need to be caming over. You are sizing the neck only, not setting back the shoulder. A neck die is larger on the shoulder than a FL die thus when the shoulder hits it will start to bulge the case body just below the shoulder.

Run the case in a FL die and it will most likely chamber.

6. Back off your die till you see it size about 75%of the neck and NOT TOUCH THE SHOULDER AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS. If you are neck sizing you don't need to size the entire neck.

7. Take a magic marker, color the entire case, run it in die and you will see where you are hitting.